Microsoft takes on Logitech with $40 keyboard for smart TVs

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Microsoft

Logitech has some new competition from Microsoft for smart TV users who want a full-blown keyboard and trackpad.

As with Logitech's Living Room Keyboard K830, Microsoft's new All-in-One Media Keyboard aims to be smart TV-friendly. The $40 keyboard has a built-in trackpad, customizable media keys, and dedicated volume buttons. It connects to televisions and media streamers—and computers, of course—via a wireless USB dongle.

In fact, the two keyboards are similar in appearance, with island-style keys and a trio of buttons above the trackpad. But while Logitech's keyboard includes backlit keys—an especially nice feature for movie nights—it's also $60 more expensive than Microsoft's keyboard, at $100. Logitech does offer a non-backlit $40 keyboard with a different design.

As Slashgear notes, Microsoft went with USB because Bluetooth connectivity is still uncommon in smart TVs. As long as the television or set-top box is USB HID compliant (and most newer Samsung televisions are), it should work with with Microsoft's keyboard-trackpad combo.

Slashgear also says the keyboard works with Microsoft's Xbox One, though it's unlikely that the trackpad is supported. An update for the console added USB keyboard support in February, including the ability to move through the menus using keyboard arrow buttons, but the interface currently doesn't accept mouse input.

The All-in-One Keyboard is now listed on Microsoft's website, but it's not available for purchase yet. It should go on sale later this month.

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